Choosing a Caldrea Laundry Detergent Scent

I started putting together this list mostly for myself for future reference (one of the best things I’ve learned at my age is that if I don’t write something down, I will NEVER be able to remember it – this habit has saved me more than once!), but I thought I would share here on the blog since others might be searching for information about Caldrea laundry detergent and will find it useful as well.

One of the detergents in my regular rotation is Caldrea Sweet Pea liquid. It’s not a heavy duty detergent at all, so unless I’m washing something very lightly soiled (like colored sheets) I normally do a prewash with 1 1/2 Tbsp of my favorite Miele Care UltraColor powder and then use 1 1/2 to 2 capfuls of Caldrea liquid laundry detergent for the main wash. The clothes come out super soft and lightly smelling of Caldrea!

The English label claims that one capful (1 oz./30 ml) should be enough for an “average load”, but I haven’t found that to be the case with my water chemistry – clothes just do not come out clean at that dosage. Also, the French version of the label says to use 37 ml (so just over 1 oz.) for lightly soiled loads, 75 ml (2 1/2 oz) for average loads and 112 ml (almost 4 oz.!) for extra dirty loads. I always prefer more detailed instructions, and I’m leaning towards the French dosage being more accurate.

Caldrea Sweet Pea Laundry Detergent Dosage: 1 capful (1 oz.) for an average load in English, but 2.5 capfuls (75 ml) for a medium soiled load in French. I choose to go by the French version!

By the way Caldrea laundry detergents have no OBAs in them, so they are great to use for colored and dark clothing, and are HE compatible.

The Sweet Pea scent that I am using now is very light and floral (it’s actually marketed as their baby detergent). I had tried only one other Caldrea product before, from their Essentials line at Target, and both times I’ve been very pleased with the scent. I’m reaching the end of my Sweet Pea and decided to order another scent, maybe something a little stronger this time. I went to the Caldrea website, but there are so many options and the descriptions all sound so lovely that I just could not decide! I reached out to their customer service via the Contact form, and they were kind enough to send me samples of some Caldrea hand soap in the following scents:

No14 Basil Blue Sage:This is one of my favorites. There is a hint of sandalwood and patchouli in the base notes of this scent, and while it’s still definitely a feminine fragrance it’s not quite as floral as Sweet Pea, which will make for a nice change. It is also one of the stronger scents of the bunch, and lingers quite a bit.

No15 Ginger Pomelo:This ended up being a pleasant surprise: I normally am not a huge fan of citrus, but this scent has some pleasant bitter notes in it (reminiscent of pomelo skin), as well as some honey, so definitely not your typical citrus. This one is on the sweet side, and also one of my favorites.

No19 Mandarin Vetiver: Unlike Ginger Pomelo, this is a very straightforward citrus scent with some slightly bitter and vegetal vetiver notes. This is not my personal favorite, but would be great for somebody who likes citrus. It is also one of the more “simple” scents that smelled just like I though it would based on the description: like you are peeling a ripe, fresh mandarin orange that you just picked off the tree, leaves still attached.

No21 Rosewater Driftwood: I was super excited about this one, and it’s a very interesting scent! It’s a little bit of “old lady perfume” with the rose and lily of the valley (the floral notes get stronger as you keep smelling) that’s balanced out with some “modern” woody base notes. Overall not my favorite, but definitely a very interesting combination and not what you would typically expect from a laundry detergent.

No22 Black Coriander Lime: Another scent I was really looking forward to. In fact, if I had to buy based on description alone I would have gone with this one. It’s very vegetal, kind of a bitter green smell if that makes sense. Probably the most masculine out of all the options. In the end not my first choice, but another very interesting scent.

No23 Pear Blossom Agave: This is the most recent seasonal launch, and predictably I did not end up liking it much. It’s very sweet and fruity, to me almost cloyingly so – I know this scent would give me a headache if I used it.

I was a little disappointed that they were not able to send me a sample of No17 Sea Salt Neroli, since I think that could also end up being one of my favorites, but overall it was great to be able to try out so many scents without committing to a full size product. I have to say that Caldrea do a great job int he scent department! The only one I did not like was the Pear Blossom Agave, but I don’t think I would have been disappointed with any of the other options if I had purchased a bottle of detergent based on the description alone.

I’m currently trying to decide between Basil Blue Sage, Ginger Pomelo and Sea Salt Neroli, and also very curious about the Lavender Pine. Slightly leaning towards the Sea Salt Neroli! I’ll post an update when I pull the trigger and let you know how well the regular scents last compared to the milder Sweet Pea.

2 thoughts on “Choosing a Caldrea Laundry Detergent Scent”

You said no sample of Sea Salt Neroli, but have you tried that scent in another product? I ordered the linen spray and was not a huge fan. I thought it was alright, just not enough of the neroli scent. I end up spraying that and another floral or linen scent to achieve the desired effect. p.s. I am happy Target sells some of the product line!

Thank you Brandi! I have never smelled the Sea Salt Neroli, but the description makes me really want to. Now that you say you’re not too happy with it I might just go with one of the sample scents I liked…
Our Target only carries the Essentials line, which doesn’t seem to overlap with the regular scents. I had a big refill bottle of the Blackcurrant Mint hand soap and LOVED it – such a great scent! Unfortunately it has been discontinued (I bought the soap on clearance).

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